Women Gained Over Half of the Jobs Added in February; Men Have Regained 82 Percent of Jobs Lost in the Recession

According to an Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR) analysis of the March employment report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), women gained 99,000 jobs in February, while men gained 76,000 for a net increase of 175,000 jobs in February. As of February, men have regained 82 percent (4.9 million) of the jobs they lost during the recession, whereas women hold 17 percent more jobs on payrolls (68.0 million) than at their previous employment peak in March 2008 (67.6 million), more than recovering all the jobs they lost in the downturn.

Job Growth/Loss by Industry, February 2013-February 2014

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Washington, DC—According to an Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR) analysis of the March employment report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), women gained 99,000 jobs in February, while men gained 76,000 for a net increase of 175,000 jobs in February. As of February, men have regained 82 percent (4.9 million) of the jobs they lost during the recession, whereas women hold 17 percent more jobs on payrolls (68.0 million) than at their previous employment peak in March 2008 (67.6 million), more than recovering all the jobs they lost in the downturn.

In February, women’s employment growth was strongest in Professional and Business Services (55,000 jobs gained by women), Education and Health Services (24,000 jobs), and Leisure and Hospitality (14,000 jobs). However, women also lost 16,000 jobs in Trade, Transportation, and Utilities, including 10,000 jobs in Retail Trade alone. In the last year, job gains were particularly strong in sectors where women workers are concentrated, including Professional and Business Services, Education and Health Services, Retail Trade, and Leisure and Hospitality.

“The economy continues to grow largely due to strong job growth for both men and women in female-dominated sectors” said IWPR President Heidi Hartmann, Ph.D. “But job growth is still too slow to accommodate millions of unemployed workers and young adults entering the workforce, and as a result, family incomes continue to suffer long-term effects.”

As of February, 10.5 million workers remain unemployed and, of these, 3.8 million (37 percent) are workers, usually referred to as the long-term unemployed, who have been unemployed for 27 weeks or longer. During 2013, a larger share of black (43 percent of black women and 44 percent of black men) and Asian American (45 percent of Asian American women and 40 percent of Asian American men) were long-term unemployed workers, compared with both white (35 percent of women and 36 percent of men) and Hispanic (34 percent of women and 35 percent of men) unemployed workers.

The Institute for Women's Policy Research (IWPR) is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization that conducts rigorous research and disseminates its findings to address the needs of women and their families, promote public dialogue, and strengthen communities and societies.